Holding device



G. R. WADLEIGH April 26, 1949.

HOLDING DEVICE Filed May 19, 1945 Jr/eEAM How INVENTOR GEOEGE 6. MOLE/6b Zmm ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 26, 1949 amazes HOLDING nnvIeE George R. Wadleigh, Hastings onlludson, N. -Y.,

assignonto ,West-Yirginia Pulp and Paper Company, New York, N. Y., azcorporation of .Delaware Application May 19, 1945, e1 ial.1\,lo.. 594,760 2 Glaims. (Cl.+2101'72) My present invention relates to improved apparatus for holding andchanging interchangeable elements. ,In oneof its applications, herein illustrated, ,itis used for ,holding andchanging screens forfiltering. or screening a flowing, stream of water r otherliquid. .In thiscase it is particularly .useful in instances where water from a reservoir or stream istapped for variousiuses and where it is desirablato. screenout solid material.

Itiscommon practicetoprovide an arrangementfor changing the screening elements, i. e., screens or racks,.-by .afiording .aldoubleflset of grooves so that before the element to be changed is removed, an auxiliary element is placed behind it. Then the screen, for example, which is in need of cleaning is removed, and the screening function is assumed. by the second screen. After cleaning, the first screen is put back in its set of grooves and the second screen removed. In removing the second screen, however, much of the debris which has been caught falls back into the stream where it may foul whatever apparatus the water is conducted to, as for example condenser tubes, pumps, turbine wheels, etc.

My invention inter aliaseeks to overcome this drawback by providing screen holding means which will (1) move the second screen to the position occupied by the first screen, and (2) present a device for holding an additional screen when the screen then in use must be changed. In accordance with my preferred embodiment I accomplish this by providing a pair of oppositely disposed axially vertical screen holding devices each engaging opposite ends of the screen and having generally radial screen engaging elements such that when said devices are simultaneously rotated in opposite directions, a limited movement of translation of the screen is had and new devices presented for holding a screen to be inserted behind the screen which has moved up to the normal working position.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken with the annexed drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved device with a pair of screens in place;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation looking upstream of the device, showing a screen in place;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, [0 denotes the first screen which may be assumed to -be ready for removal for cleaning or other purposes, and II denotes a screen identical with screen H) which has been inserted behind screen 10 prior to the latters removal. Each screen has a frame consisting of cross angle barsv l2, l3, l4 and vertical pieces [5; l6} Each of said pieces l5 and I6, which may be of flat stock, has attached thereto, as by welding, a vertically extending preferablycylindrical element or pipe". '(The element l1 maybe only partially cylindrical if desired.) Engagingthe said cylindrical elements is a holding device denoted generally by It on one side and by ill on. the other, such. devices .being substantially identical. Each of said devices consists of an internal pipe or cylinder 20 preferably closedat "the bottomend as-byplate 2| having a recess or socket 22. At the top each cylinder is closed with a plate 23 having a trunnion 24, a pintle 25 being provided for the socket 22 and a bearing .25 for the upper trunnion 24. Secured to pipe 29 and extending outwardly therefrom in a general radial direction are fin pairs 26, 26; 21, 21; 28, 28, etc., the members of each pair being substantially parallel, as shown, and adapted to engage between them the pipe or cylindrical element I1 which is attached to the screen In. Preferably a cylindrical jacket 29 surrounds the fins 26, 21, etc., except for a cutout section extending ci-rcumferentially a distance approximately equal to two fin pairs, e. g., those numbered 21, 21, 28, 28, as seen in Fig. 3. Said jacket 29 also supports the bearings .25.

Each trunnion 24 projects beyond the bearing 25 and has thereon a worm wheel 30. Each worm wheel 30 meshes with a worm. 3| the ends of which are contained in bearings 32, 33, held by brackets of which 32a, 33a are seen in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the worm shaft on the left hand side, for example, having a crank 34 for turning same. In order that the right hand Worm wheel 30, which is identical in construction with the left hand one, may be turned simultaneously with the left one, the two worm shafts are joined by an endless chain 35 passing around sprockets 36, 36, respectively, attached to the worm shafts.

It will be obvious that upon turning the crank 34 both cylinders 20 will be rotated in opposite directions so as to give screen I l (screen ll! having been removed) limited movement of translation. Now, when it is desired to change the screen In, the screen II is slipped in behind screen In into the grooves formed by the fins 21, 21, on either side of the screen, and screen l0 then removed. Simultaneous rotation of cylinders 20 by crank 34 will now bring screen I l into the position previously occupied by screen l0. Eyes 38, 38 may be attached to each screen in order that it may be hoisted out by means of a crane, for example.

In Fig. 3, 4| shows the end of an adjacent wall which aids in maintaining the right hand cylinder and sheath in place by means of angle pieces 43, 44.

It will be obvious that modifications may be had within the spirit of my invention, and that various other articles or elements other than screens may be operated upon. These articles need not be of identical shape and size although in most instances the dimensions of width and thickness will be approximately the same.

I claim:

1. In combination with a plurality of generally fiat interchangeable screens for use with flowing liquids each of said screens having two parallel sides, an apparatus for removably holding and moving same in operative position comprising a pair of oppositely disposed mechanisms engaging the respective sides of the screen and each comprising a rotatable shaft parallel and. adjacent to the engaged screen side, engaging elements on said screen sides cooperating with one of a plurality of circumferential engaging elements on the adjacent shaft, a pair of said engaging elements on one shaft being in operative alignment with a pair on the opposite shaft, such cooperating elements serving removably to hold the screenand upon rotation of said shafts to advance it in a direction normal to its plane an amount at least equal to the thickness of the screen, whereupon said cooperating elements disengage, other of said elements carried by said shafts permitting an inserted second, separated, parallelly disposed screen to be held simultaneously with, and downstream with respect to, the screen first mentioned, whereby simultaneous rotation of said shafts in opposite angular directions may cause the second screen to be advanced to the position held by the first screen.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which the cooperating elements mentioned are of the cylinder and socket type.

GEORGE R. WADLEIGH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

